The landscaping business often requires that large shrubs, trees, and other nursery stock be moved and/or transplanted either within the nursery area itself, or to a customer's vehicle or property. It is desirable that equipment used to facilitate such nursery stock loading and/or movement do so in a secure and efficient manner, regardless of the size, shape or bulk of the object being moved or loaded.
Loading equipment typically used for this purpose, such as skid steer loaders and fork trucks, are often unable to handle large nursery stock, e.g., trees having large root balls, without damaging the root ball and/or requiring help from additional persons. Due to the unique shape and uneven weight distribution of objects such as balled-trees, manual assistance is often needed in loading the object onto and off the equipment as well as loading and unloading the object from a transport vehicle, such as a truck or trailer. Ensuring that the object is securely held or maintained by the loading equipment often requires additional securing means, such as a strap or rope, to ensure that the object does not shift or fall during movement. Applying or using a strap or rope adds time and effort to the process which results in a less efficient, more expensive business operation. On the other hand, failure to use a strap or rope may result in damaged nursery stock.
Additionally, the design of skid steer loaders and fork trucks limit the load placement ability to certain positions, such that manual placement must be performed to locate the object (e.g., tree) in its desired spot. Manual placement or help may be needed, for example, when placement of an object into a truck with high sides, a truck with a trailer attached, or when the vehicle or trailer being loaded is only accessible from the side.